- Date Of Birth: February 16, 1943
- Date Of Death: January 10, 2022
- State: Indiana
Pat “Omah” Foster (née McGrath), age 79, of Cadiz, Kentucky, formally of Waukegan, Illinois, followed her great love onto their next adventure Monday, January 10, 2022. Two weeks to the day, that her husband passed away. They have never been separated that long!! Omah would like everyone to know, that it’s okay, she will look after Papa and remind him of anything he has forgotten, like where he put his glasses. She will laugh, dance, greet old friends and familiar faces, and she will know peace.
Omah was born February 16, 1943 in Waukegan, Illinois. She was the daughter of Alice (Née Liebert) and Edmund McGrath. The youngest of 3, She was born with bright brown eyes, a sharp mind, and the ability to get what she wanted. Little did she know that her life would begin to truly take shape at just 15, when a boy with mischievous eyes, Mike “Papa” Foster, would sweep her heart away. The brightness in her eyes were the perfect match to the mischievous glint in his. After getting married, Omah opened her own Aveda salon, where she excelled and blossomed into her personality.
While Omah could do it all, she specialized as a leading nail technician. A true pioneer in her field. She did all this while raising two beautiful children, keeping up with Papa, and looked damn good through it all. The salon was successful for over 15 years. Omah only made the decision to close when Papa had the crazy idea that he could open and run a marina without her brains. HA! He would still be looking for those glasses if it wasn’t for her! From Northern Marine Services to cross country trips in The Bus, Omah planned and accounted for everything. We all know that while Papa gave the family wings, Omah gave the family a home. She truly grounded everyone around her, providing support and structure with a dash of glamour and a heap of love.
While Omah was certainly a pillar of her family, she was also “Omah” to everyone. She had an open-door policy for her children, their friends; her grandchildren and their friends. Similar to Papa loving to be around people, she was happiest when being “Omah” to people. Even up until the very end, when she introduced herself to the nurses as “Omah”. She was a true matriarch, a Queen and there are no words for how much she will be missed.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Mike Foster; her Brother Tom E. McGrath.
Omah is survived by her sister, Mary K. Smith (née McGrath); her sister-in-law, Ella Mae McGrath; her children, Kristin (Brian) King and Tom Foster; her three grandchildren, Samantha (David) Cherro, Sam (Tara) King, and Alex (Lauren) King; 3 great-grandchildren, Olivia and Georgia Hively, and Benji King.
